


Puppet of Agony

by Kenobi1



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Infinity War, Gen, Hurt Loki (Marvel), Hurt Stephen, Hurt/Comfort, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-16 14:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14166807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kenobi1/pseuds/Kenobi1
Summary: How much does it take to break the unbreakable? Stephen Strange thought he knew pain until he met Ebony Maw. He was wrong, and suddenly death seems more forgiving than life. He knows he can’t survive the unimaginable horrors on his own, so he’s lucky he has some friends to help him out. Based off the Infinity War trailer. Warning: torture.





	1. Chapter 1

An uncontrollable twitch possessed Doctor Strange’s dead limbs. He struggled to maintain his consciousness, vaguely registering the pressure on the back of his neck. A mangled hand clutched his tunic, pulling him across the rusted floor, upsetting a few protesting wounds across his spine. His body, for the most part, remained unharmed, but the cause of his stillness was from a man-well, more like creature-that was the reason for all of this.

Stephen’s surroundings darkened until he lay in the middle of an enclosed room with minimal outside light. A figure’s shadow draped over his limp form. The light filtered over his face, revealing the horrifying face of Ebony Maw. A feral smirk washed over the creature’s features as his gaze trained on Strange’s eyes.

Maw lifted his hand, allowing it to hover over the sorcerer’s face before it made contact with his right temple. A passionate, stabbing pain pierced his mental barriers mere moments later, causing his heart rate to rush frantically faster than its normal tempo.

“Tell me, Stephen Strange. The location of the infinity stones.”

The words echoed throughout his mind and the enclosed room, and they thrashed into his mind, his willpower, making him struggle for control.

Stephen’s lip quivered as he hissed a reply, “I️ don’t know.”

“We both know you do, my dear doctor,” Ebony coaxed. Several of his mental barriers, carefully constructed, were cracking away as the child of Thanos wormed his way into Strange’s mind.

“No, I️ don’t know where they are,” the human retorted with a gritted frown smeared across his lips, sweat beading on his forehead. He exhaled sharply as Ebony Maw dug deeper, the two fingers that connected to his temple sank into his head, causing the skin to glow a pale pink.

Doctor Strange gagged as Maw sliced into his memories. With a wave of pure resilience, the doctor managed to ward the other out before any real damage was accomplished.

Ebony growled in frustration, moving his fingers from the sorcerer’s temple to his forehead. Stephen’s body drifted into an upright position, and a tremble overtook his frozen limbs.

“Please, Stephen. All you have to do is tell me where infinity stones are,” the member of the Black Order persuaded earnestly.

“I️ won’t.”

Maw sneered cynically, “Oh, so you do know.”

In between the violent attacks on his mental shields and the mounting pain, Strange desperately avoided any thought of the gems, especially the one dangling from his neck.

“Well, just tell me where they are, and this can be over,” Ebony Maw tempted.

The neurosurgeon struggled to shove past the mental onslaughts and the persuasive promises. “No.” Doctor Strange would remain defiant, even if it cost him his life.

“I️ am sorry then, Doctor.”

The child of Thanos withdrew his fingers from Stephen’s forehead. A shard of glass materialized beside him. Several others morphed into existence as well, encircling the man’s body in a cage of fatal knives. Strange observed the situation anxiously, eyes flicking between the numerous shards drawing towards his immobile form.

Ebony Maw maintained his fierce eye contact, luring the doctor’s eyes into his own. “Tell me the location of the infinity stones.”

The glass shards impaled him after the creature’s sentence. Agony flashed through countless nerves across his body. But the impact left no wounds, and the same pale luminescence that Maw’s fingers created now surrounded the glass knives sinking into him. The blades didn’t only generate physical pain. Fiery trails of attacks sourced from the spears threatened to overwhelm his mental willpower. Ebony Maw was proving to be a dangerous opponent in their battle of wills.

To fight the mental opposition, Doctor Strange clenched his eyes and teeth, shoving out the sickening whispers in his head. Between the pain and the crushing will being forced onto him, his mental barriers were crumbling like dry sand.

Maw’s eyes widened as he broke through part of the sorcerer’s shields. “You have one,” he realized, astonished.

“Where is it?!” The member of the Black Order bellowed.

Stephen’s eyes glazed over, and his head lolled to the right slightly. “No, I️...” the doctor trailed off as his mouth went slack from overstimulation and exhaustion. Streaks of rage traversed Ebony’s face before he gripped either side of the neurosurgeon’s head, hands phasing through the shards, and violently shook the man’s head.

Doctor Strange dropped his head after Ebony Maw released it, eyes opening to blink sluggishly and a grimace clear on his lips. “Time,” he finally relented, mumbling softly. He jerked his head defiantly and raised it to return Ebony’s demanding gaze, before he could reveal anything else. The effort left him panting with exertion.

The child of Thanos grinned hungrily. The glass knives burrowed even deeper into Doctor Strange, and it overwhelmed his senses. His eyes lurched open with a silent plea painted on his features. Stephen screamed against the sheer agony that dominated his mind, body, spirit. The member of the Black Order lifted a finger to his lips as the man lost all effort to oppose him. The sorcerer’s head lolled onto his shoulder, lax from unconsciousness.

Loki lifted his gaze off of the metallic floor as he heard a torn scream reverberate through the compound. He knew the owner. He had watched the sorcerer’s immobile body be dragged past the cell he was currently chained to. Only a mild sense of surprise registered. Although he knew Thanos was heading for Earth, he didn’t expect to see the sorcerer in the compound.

The god of mischief reflected on his present situation. He was stranded in this cold cell, chained to the wall, after his encounter with the Black Order. From what he could deduce, Thor had been thrown into space along with the Hulk. Nothing much had happened since he had given Thanos the Tesseract, and he was astonished that he was left alone, with a few deep wounds, of course.

To pass the time, Loki fiddled with a simple spell between his fingers. It was a useless enchantment, one of the few he could still perform. Thanos’s power stone kept him from using magic to escape.

An abrupt clang interrupted his trance. When Loki looked up, the lifeless form of Stephen Strange sagged in the entrance of the cell, and Ebony Maw grinned cruelly behind him.

“Do let him know that we aren’t finished,” the creature requested. The Trickster did not reply, preferring to keep his silence instead. Maw strode off, hands clasped behind his back, a satisfied aura wafting from his retreating form. Loki was left alone with the council of an unconscious man.

Carelessly, he glanced over to Stephen’s hunched form. The sorcerer was slumped on his side with a small cut oozing blood down his temple. He had a grimace on his face, but for the most part, his body was relaxed. Mental torture was often worse than physical torture, the Asgardian knew.

Loki returned to mindlessly playing with the spell, ignoring his surroundings. Although he appeared oblivious, the Lord of Lies was also formulating a plan inside his head. And the unconscious sorcerer might just be the key to his flight. While Thanos had contained his magic with the power stone, the Mad Titan hadn’t encountered Doctor Strange as far as he could tell. Even though the sorcerer was currently quite incapacitated, Loki might just be able to use him to his advantage.

With the idea brewing in his mind, the Trickster hummed aimlessly in the cold cell somewhere in the frozen depths of space.

A soft groan emanated from the limp lump located across the floor. Loki rose an eyebrow and ceased his humming. The magic in between his fingers died. A frown painted his face as he waited for the other to come to. A few short, curt breaths wracked the sorcerer’s body before he rolled onto his back. His arms moved to cup his face as he rubbed his eyes harshly. Loki kept his silence as Stephen observed his surroundings.

“Loki?” the doctor wondered. He hasn’t seen him since he and his brother visited the Earth. “Why are you-?”

“Ebony sends his best wishes,” the god muttered sarcastically. Strange adopted a panicked look and instinctively raised his hands to his chest, where the Eye of Agamotto lay dormant. Loki ignored the gesture. Despite any of his own motives, they had to try and keep the infinity stones hidden at all costs. Thanos was too dangerous to ignore, and if he wasn’t careful, his body could be stranded in space without a second thought. So he didn’t call out the movement. Having a stone so close to the Black Order’s vicinity was unnerving.

“He said that you two weren’t finished,” the Trickster relayed, not bothering to paraphrase.

“Loki, please, I know we may not have had the best relationship in the past, but for the sake of the universe, we have to escape,” Stephen begged, a sense of vulnerability seeping into his voice.

“Oh, I won’t do it for the universe. What does Maw already know?” Loki inquired wearily.

Stephen grimaced uncomfortably, “That I have the Time Stone somewhere. I have already cast several spells to protect it.”

“Good,” the Asgardian answered from his position by the wall. “There isn’t much I can do to shield you from the mental attacks. You’ll have to survive on your own.”

“I’ll resist, no matter the cost,” Doctor Strange affirmed confidently. “Just please tell me you have a plan to get out of here.”

“Working on it,” Loki grumbled.

“You’re wounded,” the sorcerer observed, pushing himself off of the metallic floor unsteadily to survey the extent of the injury. Because of the chains securing him against the wall, the Lord of Lies was reluctantly forced to withstand the emotional display. “Here.” Strange ripped off a section of his tunic to wrap the deep gash that encircled the Asgardian’s thigh.

“Stop,” Loki hissed defensively, jerking away from the touch.

Stephen finished dressing the wound before replying. “It will only help us escape. I can’t wait for you to limp from the compound.” The god of mischief muttered an incoherent reply.

“Sorry to interrupt the reunion,” Ebony Maw drawled from the now open doorway. “But I believe I have another session with our favorite sorcerer.” Loki looked surprised but mainly offended.

“I’m sorry, what?” Loki growled. Stephen, meanwhile, stood from his position next to the Asgardian, hastily forming two identical shields defensively. The Trickster noted the action for later reference but mainly turned his attention to the encounter.

The child of the Mad Titan chuckled darkly. “I believe that won’t be necessary, my dear doctor.” With the flick of his wrist, the neurosurgeon’s spell swiftly dissipated before his fingertips, and his body hovered a few feet off the ground, tensed but twitching. His sling ring melted into a molten puddle of metal on the cell floor. Loki threw himself at the chains in vain, helpless as another infinity stone was put at risk of discovery.

“Thank you for the information, Laufeyson,” the creature’s voice echoed. “Your conversation was quite…enlightening.”

The god of mischief tracked the other sorcerer down the hallway, a scowl gracing both of their faces. It was funny how Loki could only befriend people when his life was in danger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Would this still be considered fanfiction if I owned Marvel? I’ll never know because I don’t.
> 
> Huge thanks to camilia85560 and WIX2 for commenting and everyone that left kudos! It means so much to me, so thank you for that fuzzy feeling I get!
> 
> 24 Days until Infinity War!!
> 
> Onto the story!

At least Stephen felt more prepared this time as the spears of glass pierced his skin slowly. The agony that accompanied the impalements was more bearable, and an inspiring determination kept Doctor Strange defiant.

In this session, Ebony Maw’s motives were more finely tuned. “We can be finished as soon as you tell me where the time stone is,” he reasoned.

“Do you really expect me to believe it will end there?” Strange replied incredulously, breathing forcefully through the pain that threatened to overstimulate him again.

“The more you cooperate, the easier this will be, Stephen.”

The sorcerer growled rebelliously.

The fire in his nerves sang at a forte when Maw raised his fingers and touched Strange’s forehead, earning the same reaction as earlier. He strained against the powerful urge to give up, to admit defeat and open up his memories.

“Give me the stone!” Ebony commanded aggressively as the glass shards probed deeper into his body.

Despite his anticipation, the brutal mental onslaught still shook his defenses. Stephen grunted, but remained defiant, mentally distancing himself from the pain as best he could.

“You said you cast protective spells on the stone, which leads me to assume that you were recently in possession of it,” the Member of the Black Order deduced. “Or that you are currently.” It took a great deal of willpower not to glance at the Eye, to reassure himself that it still remained safely nestled against his chest.

“I left it with the other Avengers,” Doctor Strange responded quickly.

“Oh, please. You are a horrible liar. You have proven me wrong when it comes to your mental resilience, but don’t think that you can get away with deception. Not even Loki can, and he’s the supposed god of it,” the creature stated. “Now lets have some fun, shall we?”

Stephen focused on Ebony as he brought forth his other hand. The cruel creature grinned in anticipation of his next action. Bracing himself had no benefit. The spears of glass solidified and sliced through his skin while Maw’s sheer willpower shattered the sorcerer’s mental barriers like a tsunami obliterating a city. Strange managed to reform the ones pertaining to the infinity stones, but now his opponent had a much more potent weapon: his memories.

Ebony Maw smirked at the newfound information, “Stephen Strange, what an…intriguing life. Although to be honest, I’m surprised. You survived an encounter with Dormammu?”

To fight through the added torture of the countless fresh wounds trickling blood down his clothes, Stephen hissed through his teeth, focusing on the conversation and muttered, “I wouldn’t say survived.”

Ebony, for all his self-proclaimed glory, looked a little flustered from the comment. The doctor just snorted before the other continued.

“You were a cruel one, weren’t you?” Maw chuckled, regaining his conversational momentum, and Strange flinched. “I️ like that.” The creature leveled the sorcerer’s chin to his own, wearing a malevolent grin. Stephen was revolted by the texture of his hand. Disgust colored the human’s features as his torturer continued. “Earth must be truly desperate to seek help from a man like you. As a doctor, you take an oath to aid humanity, to preserve their lives, yet you turn them away to face their deaths. That is surely heartless.”

Doctor Strange swallowed, refusing to show just how ashamed his history left him. But despite his efforts, a frown began to weigh down on his face. Ebony Maw reached towards his chest, and his hand phased through the sorcerer’s torso into his heart. The effect was immediate; Stephen felt his racing emotions loom over him. Suddenly the future seemed too overwhelming to overcome.

“Maybe the Avengers should be happy Thanos is going to kill half the universe,” the member of the Black Order reflected. “But you claim to have redeemed yourself. Although I don’t think anyone could repay for that.. Dormammu is a formidable opponent, I must admit. How many times did you die? Even I couldn’t recall. How does it feel to die?” Maw paused to wait for a response, but Strange remained silent regardless of the tears that trickled down his grief-morphed face. “You don’t remember?” The torturer laughed. “That’s too bad. I might have to help you with that.”

Before the doctor could comprehend the sentence, Ebony withdrew his hand from the other’s chest and plunged it, along with a newly acquired knife, into the thigh of the sorcerer. The glass shards dissipated as Doctor Strange released a strangled cry, summoned from the pain that the fresh injury caused. He wriggled helplessly suspended in the air.

“If you won’t give up the infinity stone,” Ebony Maw rumbled in his ear. “I’ll make you.” The sentence was accompanied by Stephen’s scream, for the child of Thanos had twisted the blade inside his leg. Doctor Strange once again thrashed against whatever spell held him motionless, resulting in useless twitches and jerks that only egged on the dagger. With a wicked grin, the creature dragged the knife down his leg, and Strange uncharacteristically whimpered, tears shamelessly splattering onto the rusty floor. “Normally I don’t like to get my hands dirty, but for this, I’ll make an exception,” Maw purred, eyes glinting on the knife. “I forgot how fun this can be.”

Willing to attempt anything to withstand the excruciation, Doctor Strange focused on the conversation before scowling and seething, “I survived Dormammu. What makes this different?”

“With Dormammu, you reversed the consequences. I’m afraid that won’t be an option once I’m finished.”

Ebony withdrew the knife from the man’s thigh, but instead of ending the session, he repeatedly bit back into the man’s skin with the weapon. Each of the gashes weren’t very deep but the countless incisions burned with a passion, generating more glaring pain within his nerves. He writhed blindly.

Soon, the pain blended together and drowned out Strange’s senses. Time blurred until he could finally focus on the blurry hand of his torturer. It phased into his forehead, and Stephen was lost to the world.

When Stephen woke up, he realized he had rejoined Loki in the cell once again. The Asgardian was asleep, a blanket of chains weighing him down. Doctor Strange’s hideous wounds were bandaged, although he wasn’t sure by who. Ebony had to keep him alive somehow, he assumed. Meanwhile, the god of mischief had a few more additional cuts decorating his arm than he had in the doctor’s previous encounter. Because of the new metal barrier binding the other’s mouth shut, Strange didn’t bother attempting to wake the god. There was nothing that would benefit, and he wasn’t sure when the last time Loki had the chance to sleep was. Doctor Strange could only drift off into bouts of unconsciousness. In every other moment, he was relieving memories of being pressed to reveal the time stone.

To change that, Stephen curled into the most comfortable position he could find in his current corner of the cell, maximizing the chance he had to relax his mind. This was the first time since his arrival that he had been unattended for more than a hour. Due to the absence of adrenaline and let down of agony, he drifted in and out of a nightmare-infested sleep. His dreams were plagued by the usual appearance of his countless deaths at the hands of Dormammu, and he woke himself up numerous times as he twisted onto an aggravated wound. He finally gave up when he reopened one of the gashes on his left hip.

While the blood oozed lazily into the gauze, Doctor Strange heard a grunt from his right. Loki shifted onto his side, disturbing a waterfall of rippling chains. “Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Strange teased, snorting as the other sent a death sentence through the language of stares. The glare morphed into a look of shock as the Lord of Lies witnessed the vast scale of injuries tarnishing the man’s body. Stephen’s robes hung from his chest in shreds, giving Loki a clear view of the wet blood from Maw and the scars he had earned over his career as a sorcerer. His leg wound had clotted over again, stemming the blood flow that seeped into the dressing. The largest mark marring his skin was the white ghost of the battle in the New York Sanctum with Kaecilius. Even though he didn’t have proof, the doctor was sure the Asgardian had scars as well.

Loki did his best to shove away his chains before motioning to the neurosurgeon. Doctor Strange slid closer, easing forward sluggishly so as to not open any new wounds, and settled beside the god. Pain flared up again, but stubbornness kept him going. Because of the bounds prohibiting any vocal communication, Loki was forced into a game of charades, gesturing to Stephen’s hands, wounds, and mouth. The cell door was also involved in the predicament. Somehow, after hours worth of frustration and failures, Strange finally picked up Loki’s meaning.

The Trickster was presenting a plan to escape. And the sorcerer thought it had potential.

Stephen painfully dragged himself up into an unstable standing position and presented his arms before him. With some difficulty, a spell sparked to life but flickered from lack of strength. After another attempt, the sorcerer kindled the enchantment, and it smoldered through the cell door. Doctor Strange’s next action was to burn away the metallic bonds dragging Loki down. He gasped as the mouthpiece melted away and gave him full access to his airways. The Asgardian rose and wrapped an arm around Stephen’s quivering shoulders, taking some of the weight to help with mobility. “I guess I should think you,” Loki drawled airily while the former doctor created a golden shield to ward of potential adversaries.

They made their way into the hallway with Loki leading the escape. Strange did his best not to shuffle his feet, but they inevitably did, potentially drawing unwanted attention to the prisoners. The pair of escapees managed through the compound for several minutes, but after a while both knew they were just being fooled into a false hope. Loki, who had tracked the entrances and exits of the structure, had gotten hopelessly lost, something that Stephen didn’t think possible.

“Loki, I think they’re just playing with us,” Strange muttered in the silence of the chambers.

“No , Sherlock,” the god snapped. Doctor Strange glared at the Trickster with the oddest of expressions. “Isn’t that what you Midgardians say?” he asked, slightly defensive. The sorcerer shrugged.

Stephen held the arm with the shield before the pair defensively after a soft scuff sounded down one of the halls. The tension built until the lithe form of Ebony Maw dripped from the shadows, clapping slowly and dramatically.

“You really are predictable. Even you Loki,” the child of the Mad Titan rumbled. Stephen scowled before untangling himself from the god and swinging the shield in a high arc towards their torturer. Maw chuckled lightly and stopped clapping to raise his hand. The sorcerer’s magic dissipated on contact, showering shards of the spell in fiery embers onto the floor. Ebony’s eyes bore into those of the Lord of Lies as he rasped, “I wish you had another infinity stone. It would have been so fun to hear you scream.” As the member of the Black Order spoke, he phased his hand through the oncoming human’s heart, swiftly with a practiced hand. Doctor Strange crumpled to a heap on the dusty ground, unconscious, and Loki was once again met with the sight of the cell wall, repaired and reconstructed. The Asgardian sank into the silence of the room, hanging under more than just the returned weight of the chains once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment, and give me feedback if you wish! It would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> ~Kenobi1


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Infinity War is so close, yet so far! The wait is killing me! But in the meantime, here’s chapter three! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> (Only 16 days until Infinity War!!)

Stephen howled in pain. Not for the first time that day, nor the last. Ebony Maw has decided on a new form of torture. Due to this, the doctor was strapped to a metal chair, his hands tied to a metal table. It was ice cold to touch.

“Oh, am I hurting you?” Ebony’s sickening voice rumbled in his chest. He dug his tiny, wickedly sharp knife deeper into the back of Stephen’s hand. It was tracing an already-existing scar, one from his crash. Similar fresh cuts outlined more of his scars, crisscrossing across his whole hand and his fingers. 

Stephen screamed again, and thrust his shoulders forward against the leather strap that bound them. Ebony noticed, and chuckled, a hoarse, hollow sound that sent chills skittering down Stephen’s spine. His eyes blurred with tears as the torturer set down his knife and picked up Stephen’s right hand in his own, roughly rotating his wrist so his palm was facing upward. Stephen prepared himself for more pain, but what Maw did next was much worse. 

“What pretty hands you have here, doctor,” the child of Thanos purred, stroking his fingers down Stephen’s palm, through his fingertips. The salty waterfall that had been building at the back corners of Stephen’s eyes spilled over, tears streaming down his cheeks. Ebony purred and stroked his hands again. 

“S-stop!” The sorcerer managed to say through his sobs. Ebony’s grin grew. 

“Well, if you insist,” he drawled after one more stroke, a wicked glint in his eyes. He set the doctor’s hand back on the table and strode over to a small box on the far side of the room. He reached in and extracted a small, steel hammer, and brought it back to where his prisoner was bound. He raised it and tapped the head against Stephen’s hand, which had twisted back to palm down. The hit wasn’t too hard, but it wasn’t light either, just enough to send lightning bolts of pain up Stephen’s arm and wrench another shriek out of his throat. It was not enough to break the bones. 

Ebony frowned. “Stephen, it almost seems like you don’t like my efforts. Your hands were pretty before, you should fully support us making them beautiful.” And with that, he brought the hammer down on the human’s other hand, his left. Stephen heard multiple bones crack, and his sobs reverberated around the open room. Blood tainted the formerly spotless hammer head, but Ebony didn’t seem to mind, bringing it down again and again, on each of the doctor’s fingers and a few more times on his hand. Then he repeated the process with the right. By the end, Stephen was sobbing uncontrollably, thrashing in vain against the straps that bound him in place. 

Ebony stood up, discarding the hammer. He glided around the table until his face was inches from the doctor’s. Stephen froze at the change of distance. “Don’t fret, my puppet,” he purred, tracing a mangled finger down Stephen’s jawline. The action made him shudder, and Ebony grinned at the level of Stephen’s discomfort. “We’re almost done.”

Ebony pulled away, back to his dreaded box, grabbing the hammer along the way. He replaced the hammer with a foreign object, a black pole of sorts, about a foot long and with a hole in the end. Ebony pressed down on something, and blue flames leapt out of the opening. A blowtorch. 

Stephen’s body reacted instinctively the second he saw the fire. He resumed his struggling, and fresh tears carved new tracks down his cheeks. Ebony cackled, the spidery sound echoing around the torture chamber. He slowly moved the flickering inferno towards Stephen’s fingers. It was just uncomfortably hot at first, but discomfort soon turned to pain as the flames got close enough to lick his fingers like an eager puppy. An eager demon puppy loyal to the being that was trying to kill him, Stephen corrected himself. 

At once, the member of the Black Order thrust the blowtorch toward the sorcerer’s hand, and the fire bit into his skin. Stephen wailed, and he heard the sizzling of burned flesh when blisters began to appear. A wave of nausea washed over the doctor, and it was all he could do to yank his head to the side before he retched, spilling the meager contents of his stomach all over the stone floor. 

“Oh, Stephen,” Ebony shook his head, pulling the blowtorch away. “I really did think you could hold out longer. You seemed so much stronger than my normal subjects, but we aren’t done here.” He clapped his hands, and two black robed figures appeared with a mop. “This could end, you know, if you give me the stone.” Ebony suggested. Stephen shook his head venomously, and the child of Thanos laughed. “Well then, we have a bit more work to do.” He attacked with the blowtorch again, and Stephen’s hopeless screams resumed. The world blurred, and the doctor thought he was going to pass out from pain. He dry-heaved twice more, but there was nothing in his stomach to throw up. 

After what seemed like eternity, two rough sets of hands grabbed Stephen. They undid his binders and dragged him out of the chair. He did not have the energy to get up on his own. “Bye bye, my little puppet!” Ebony called predatorily as Stephen was dragged out of the room. He barely remembered the journey back to his cell, only registering the fact that he was giggling hysterically. Laughter stemmed from the exhaustion that flooded his veins combining with his keening shrieks to fill the hallways with resonating madness. The sorcerer realized that he was in his cell by the pain of the impact when the unfeeling guards tossed him unceremoniously back into his prison.

——————

When Strange came back, he was a laughing and sobbing mess. Loki hadn’t seen the sorcerer break down yet, so it was mildly disturbing to see him choking on his own tears. His hands were so bloody that the Trickster could barely make out the trembling scars that swirled around his digits. Most of the scars were outlined by long incisions that traced along their perimeters. Stephen looked beyond traumatized and heartbroken. 

“I can’t do this again,” the doctor whispered hoarsely, his wild laughter ceasing abruptly to make way for more waterworks. “It took me so long to recover the first time! I can’t- no. No, I…” he trailed off and trembled so hard that his hair shook. “Loki! Loki you h-have to do something!” When the god of Mischief continued his involuntary vigil, Strange’s breathing quickened. “No, no, no! No, I can’t live like this! I can’t do this again. Please not again!” 

Stephen broke down to the floor in a heap, cradling his ruined hands. Fresh tears trailed down his cheeks. “He-he called me puppet,” the broken sorcerer hiccuped through his sobs. He glanced helplessly at the silver-tongued god. Loki, still very shaken by his own torture session, motioned for him to come within reach of the chains, the first he had reacted to the sorcerer’s fit. 

Stephen half walked, half crawled over to Loki. When he was well within the reaches of the heavy chains, the Liesmith led him over to the wall and sat him down, back to the concrete so he was supported. He then sat down cross-legged across from Stephen, grasped his green cape in his hands and ripped a large section off of the bottom. He then tore that piece into smaller strips, which he set on his knee. Next, he reached out and took Stephen’s wrist between his fingers, guiding it towards him. Stephen glanced up. Loki could see the surprise in his eyes, and the tears, while still frozen on his cheeks, were no longer flowing. The god gingerly lifted a scrap of his cloak and began to wrap it around the bloodied fingers of his cell mate. The man in question hissed in pain, but his eyes seemed grateful for the silent support. Loki quickly encased the rest of his injuries in impromptu bandages, earning several more grunts of pain. 

“Thank you,” Stephen whispered when the job was finished. Loki just nodded and stood up to go back to his own corner, but Stephen motioned for the Lord of Lies to sit down next to him. The silver-tongued illusionist relented and joined the sorcerer, dragging his chains out of the way with an ear-splitting clamor. Stephen flinched at the noise.

Loki lowered himself ungraciously to the ground, until he was seated next to Stephen. The other leaned into him, desperate for human contact, and the trickster, while not returning the action, let him. They sat there for more time than Loki could measure, until he was summoned for his own session of agony. Once the chains were dismantled, he got a clear view of the sorcerer’s small form cradled against the wall. He looked so fragile, and a foreign protective instinct twanged in Loki’s chest, but a masked figure yanked him out the door, and Stephen slipped out of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to comment!
> 
> ~Kenobi1


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe how close infinity war is! This makes the wait a little easier, and I hope that is the same for you! Thanks to camilia85560, WIX2, Zamyślona, and lita for commenting! (Sorry I skipped this last chapter)
> 
> Only 12 days left!!

Stephen felt the poisonous drops of insanity start to sink in. He wasn’t sure just how long it had been since he had seen Wong or the sanctum or even the sun. Days were irrelevant now since there was no way to track them, no ulterior motive other than escape. Strange’s method of tracing time was counting the number of times he was dragged from the cell he shared with Loki, not that it really mattered. The Asgardian also faced his own sessions of torture, although not nearly as drastic. Sometimes Doctor Strange would arrive in the deserted cell only for Loki to trudge back in after a while with a few fresh cuts and trails of streaked tears running down his checks. The Trickster’s form of torture seemed to be mostly mental, although it seemed intense.

Ebony Maw seemed to enjoy causing pain in general. It was especially evident once he introduced drugs into his methods. Every poison forced into Doctor Strange’s system had a different effect. While most were pain enhancers, some delved into the psychological aspect of agony. The child of Thanos particularly favored one that set Stephen’s nerves alit with a passionate fire so grievous that it made him question his death at Dormammu’s hands. Another kept his wounds from healing properly. Instead of closing, the gashes, burns, breaks, and scars deteriorated and grew in pain. Their continuous presence made Stephen scream until his lungs were so raw that even the silence that passed through his lips made his throat feel like it had been peeled inside out. Most times, it was all the doctor could do to keep the pain at bay. He was often throwing up or blacking out randomly.

One time, the room Strange was dragged to had more than the normal amount of suspicious equipment contained in its walls. A cylindrical tank had been introduced to the torture chamber. It was open at the top with a lid at ready. Ebony did not hesitate once Stephen entered the room. The alien grabbed him forcefully by the shoulders and slammed him up against the glass. There was a feral glint in his eye, one that had not been present during the previous torture sessions. Ebony grinned, and it was the most horrifying thing Stephen had ever seen. The child of Thanos had a new goal now; he wanted to stop Strange’s heart. He easily dragged the sorcerer up a few metal stairs, and they came to the rimof the glass. Maw shoved him inside, and he hit the floor of the glass tank with a dull thud. The impact jarred his ferocious wounds, only adding to the ever-constant pain that trailed him like his own shadow.

Stephen righted himself, but didn’t bother to search for an acceptably comfortable position. He had given up a while ago. In fact he wasn’t sure when all of his hope left him. He had, at some point, just stopped trying, the eternity of endless suffering taking its toll. By now the doctor was surprised that his body hadn’t given out and forgotten to breathe. But, same as the situation with Dormammu, he refused to sacrifice humanity to relieve his pain.

Doctor Strange stared forlornly outside of the tank as a lid, formerly unnoticed, slammed closed. Maw looked overly pleased with the situation. It was only when the first few drops hit the bottom of the tank did Strange awaken to the possibilities of his predicament. The evidence of adrenaline presented itself, and the human’s eyes lit with panic. Desperation overshadowed the constant pain that had weighed him down like a migraine for so long.

Strange began pounding on the glass, shutting out the feral protest shown by the nerves in his crippled hands, yelling angrily when the impacts caused pain. The broken digits were jarred again and again, but the glass remained intact, and nothing saved him from the petrifying potential of his future. Even though his pounding increased in intensity, fate still denied him mercy.

Water gathered around his shuffling feet, sending shockwaves skittering away from them. Ebony Maw grinned with glee caused by the sorcerer’s reaction. The water level rose steadily at alarming rates. Stephen’s anxious eyes flitted across the room and throughout the tank, searching for something, anything to free him from this form of torture. Exhaustion began to set in, and Strange realized that his frantic search might not have been the wisest method. He let his instincts get ahead of him, and it spelled disaster in this situation.

The water approached the human’s neck, and he finally forced himself to relax. Doctor Strange took several even breaths, trying to slow his heart rate and air intake. “This can all be over if you just give me the Time Stone,” the member of the Black Order persuaded, just like he had every session. Just as he had every time, Stephen declined.

“I️ would rather die,” he growled, tilting his head up to continue his access to oxygen. The water was nearing the top of the tank, and Strange decided to take his final breath. Now he had to play a game for his life.

Doctor Strange thought he could see a small gap of air left at the top of the tank. Pushing off of the bottom, he stretched to reach for the stale air as his lungs began to protest. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to supply him with another breath, and he choked on bubbles that were pried from his lips. Most of the oxygen currently in his lungs was wasted, and they were now screaming for more oxygen, which he couldn’t give them.

Strange’s eyes fluttered and stung as they met the water that could quite possibly cause his death. The burns flaking his hands snapped at him aggressively once they came into contact with the cool water. Adrenaline now forced Stephen to take some form of action, so he kicked out with his legs, beating against the unrelenting glass walls of the tank. Nothing paid off. His situation was becoming deadly.

Doctor Strange thrashed in the water with what he had left of his energy. When it didn’t work, he drifted to the bottom of the tank hopelessly. His body couldn’t take it any longer. He inhaled something. Water crashed down his throat like a flooded river. His lungs relented as they filled with the liquid outside him. 

A horrible hopelessness overtook his mind while the water dominated his body. Consciousness seemed like a distant dream. Stephen was losing the battle. He wasn’t even sure if he cared whether he lived or died at this point. Did humanity still even exist? Or did Thanos slaughter them all without the Time Stone? The room seemed dark and deserted, void of Ebony’s ever-constant presence. Why did he even resist? There was no point, no hope, no motive. The water was crushing him. Why did he want to live again? Stephen’s eyes blurred.

Death and Mercy.

Synonyms.

————————

Strange coughed violently. Somehow he was laying on the metallic floor of the torture chamber. Ebony’s horrifying face loomed above him, and suddenly he wanted to be unconscious again. The child of Thanos blinked at him once before straightening and walking back a few paces. “Nope. His heart didn’t stop. We have to try that again,” The creature seemed to be talking to another being, even though Stephen could see no one else. Ebony didn’t sound disappointed at the idea of another drowning experience.

Stephen was thrown into the tank once again. The water level seemed to rise faster this time. Why rush the inevitable? The doctor wondered distantly. But just as the water soaked into the battered robes clinging to his waist, Maw appeared to have changed his mind. He opened the lid of the tank and lowered a few chains inside that stopped to hang a little ways above his head. A hook dangled from the ends.

Stephen instinctively grabbed onto the metal links that hung into the glass tank, and Maw pulled them up so that the doctor was level with him. For a moment, he seemed to be contemplating something before a smirk painted across his lips. Hastily the child of Thanos swung Doctor Strange forward and he tumbled onto the top of the stairs. Ebony slid his hands to the end of the both chains. “ I️ don’t hear you screaming enough, my puppet,” Ebony rumbled before he roughly stabbed the hooks through Stephen’s shoulders.

Strange screamed indeed.

He arced his back, desperately trying to distance himself from the overwhelming pain. Blood swept down his shoulders, and he was lost to the realm of agony. Abruptly his limp form was jerked off of the stairs, back over the tank that was now almost overflowing with water. Chains that Ebony must have attached to his ankles spun him upside down. Somewhere he heard a mocking voice taunt that he should turn his frown upside down. 

Blood, or whatever was left in his body, dripped down into the pool of water, contaminating the glassy substance with crimson smoke. The couplings lowered him into the water, and he squirmed frantically. Deadly liquid sloshed over the side, splashing to the concrete below. Strange was exhausted. He didn’t know if even wanted to survive anymore. 

But he persisted, pulling his torso upright and breaching his head from the treasonous liquid beneath him. He tried to grab hold of the chains suspending him but couldn’t get a grip. His shoulders erupted with agony, but his life was on the line. Stephen held the position until his core physically denied his demands, and he fell back into the red tainted water with a splash. After a few minutes, he tried to raise his head to the oxygen above, but he no longer had any control over his muscles. 

Once again, the human’s lungs cried for fresh air, but he could not obtain any. Strange writhed hysterically. Because of the pain the hooks caused, a screech forced itself from his clamped lips regardless of the water and found its way to the surface in the form of several anxious bubbles.

Before he could protest, he inhaled the bloody liquid denying him air. Ebony’s tilted face morphed into darkness as he was lost to the world again.

 

The next thing he registered was his frenzied gasp. Ebony growled in frustration. Apparently his heart beat on. Again.

So he drowned. Again.

That attempt failed as well. The third time, he was hung upside down, but right as the splotches invaded his vision, notifying him that unconsciousness was near, something else lit up his frayed nerves.

Electricity.

Doctor Strange’s mangled wail pierced the silencing veil the water created and drove a maliciously toothy smile onto Ebony Maw’s lips. Bubbles erupted around him, and the sorcerer felt more alive than he ever had in the compound. For all the wrong reasons. 

Torture gained a new meaning that day.

Strange squirmed in blinding excruciation. The electricity continued to startle his organs from their normal functions. Pure spasms arced throughout his body, and soon he couldn’t handle the energy. Stephen’s writhing limbs gradually slowed to an uncontrollable twitching. Bubbles occasionally escaped his lips. He wasn’t even sure if he was alive. Not anymore.

Maw’s plastered grin slowly slipped away at the lack of activity. With a growl, he withdrew the chains from the tank, jarring Doctor Strange’s shoulders torturously. The doctor coughed out bloody water, and once his lungs were clear his body instinctively gasped for more oxygen, heaving in the air greedily. The twitching that piloted his limbs kept him from standing or even shifting to a better position. Ebony yanked out the hooks that stabbed the human’s shoulders before two other aliens approached and dragged him away. Because of exhaustion, he didn’t resist that motion and continued to fight for vision. 

“I️ do wish you had more stamina,” the child of Thanos complained. “But we can test that at our next session.” He grinned creepily. “I️ can’t wait. I’ll miss you, my puppet!” He called as Stephen was dragged out of the room. The line made Stephen tremble in unwanted fear.

He wasn’t awake to greet Loki in their cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you wish to. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Kenobi1


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe we only have a week until Infinity War! I will say this again, but I don’t think this is what will happen in the movie so don’t worry about spoilers or anything. I am 92% sure this isn’t what is going to happen. But thanks to Zamyślona for commenting! It means a lot! Without further ado, here is the chapter!
> 
> (Psych) 7 Days until Infinity War!!! :D

Later when he did return to the world of the living, he was alone. The god of Mischief was nowhere to be seen, probably away at another of his own torture sessions. So Strange struggled alone through multiple shuddering breaths and attempted calm his whirling, panicking mind. It wasn’t long before his cell mate was returned to the clump of chains, but this time, his condition was different. Normally when Stephen saw him, the only trace of his torture was a few drying streaks of tears and a some bleeding cuts. This time the Asgardian was outright sobbing.

His eyes were blurred, and he seemed completely unresponsive. Doctor Strange only got a reaction when he stood up, despite protests from his seizing muscles, and shook the god. Loki’s eyes cleared slightly and he gasped, before the midgardian started to speak, “Loki. Loki, breathe. Look at me and breathe. Breathe.” Stephen rasped. The Trickster tried to obey, and his heart rate slowed considerably. Strange lead him away from the pile of uncomfortable chains as far as they would allow him to go. Loki exhaled shakily.

“I know you can’t tell me what happened, but whatever it was, forget it. These horrid creatures thrive off of terrifying experiences. They’re just trying to get to you,” Strange said cautiously, hoping he had spoken the right thing. Something must have worked, because Loki nodded and curled his back against the wall, blinking through the tears. The neurosurgeon hovered near him and rubbed the other’s forearm occasionally to ground the Asgardian to reality.

Yet again, Doctor Strange’s efforts were crippled as an alien in black robes came to retrieve him. His heart skipped a beat. Although he tried to comfort the silver-tongued god, he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to survive another torture session. Stephen didn’t know how much longer he could last. The last round had only been a few hours ago at most. This situation almost seemed worse than his experience at the hands of Dormammu. Plus, he couldn’t use the time stone or magic to soften the consequences.

As he was roughly shoved towards the usual chamber, his breath caught in his throat. A horror set in, and he felt something churning in his stomach. The sorcerer upended the sparse contents of food in him from sheer anxiety. He just had to push through drowning several times. How long could he withstand it this time?

When he entered the room this time, a metal chain was the only object present. The tank and several other tools along the side had been cleared as well as dried blood stains that had previously clung to the walls.

Ebony stood at the ready beside the chair with a twisted grin plastered on his face. “Good morning, my puppet! Are you ready to give me the Time Stone?”

Strange grimaced as he was harshly propelled into the chair. The bonds were slapped onto his arms and wrists before he had the chance to defend himself. Maw wasted no time, approaching him like a predator to prey with syringe in his grasp. The alien jammed it in his neck just as the robed creature left the room. Stephen gasped as his ears rang and his eyes swam. Not the worst drug he had dealt with, but still very unpleasant.

Nausea swept over him as the member of the Black Order produced a stocky knife. It sank into the fading scabs covering his left thigh. Doctor Strange cried out in shock and pain, while Ebony slammed his head backwards with his other palm pressed against his forehead. He choked as the alien dove into his memories. Because of the agony that racked through his leg and the surprise piercing his mind, Maw easily sliced through the mental defenses that he struggled to penetrate earlier. It wasn’t long before he viewed the sorcerer standing with Mordo and Wong in Hong Kong with Kaecilius’ blade a few inches from his face, time in a stand still. A green light emanated from the doctor’s chest, and the child of the Mad Titan smiled greedily.

“Finally!” he burst out triumphantly. “You’ve had it this whole time.”

Strange’s eyes widened and tears of defeat streaked down his cheeks. “No!” He fought against the restraints hysterically. Ebony strode forward and attempted to snap the band connected to the Eye of Agamotto. Doctor Strange silently blessed the spells that he had cast before his arrival at the compound to protect the relic. The band did not even shift over the battered robes he wore.

“Give me the Eye!” Maw demanded barbarically. He took the blade to the cord and began to hack away in a frenzy. The knife sliced into the man’s skin more than his actual target. The member of the Black Order was so engulfed in his task that he didn’t register the loud shouts and clangs echoing throughout the hallway.

Suddenly the alien lurched backward, away from the tied-up sorcerer, the knife blade wrenching itself unnaturally from his chest. Ebony let out a feral growl, clawing against what appeared at first glance to be a white rope stuck to his back. Stephen glanced towards the small blue and red figure crouching with an outstretched hand and the red and gold suit of armor silhouetted majestically in the doorway. “Get away from my doctor, Voldemort,” Tony Stark commanded, a repulser aimed for the child of Thanos.

Something changed in the billionaire’s eyes once they landed on the shell of the sorcerer slumped in the chair.

Tony let a repulser blast fly in his rage.

Accepting the newly sickening burn in his shoulder, Ebony managed to cut the rope-like thing off his back and charged the suit swiftly, jamming his knife wherever he could find an opening. Iron Man didn’t seem troubled by this, and he shot at the alien as the smaller figure followed him into the room. Stephen’s eyes adjusted and he found himself in the company of Spider-Man, which explained the ropey thing. Webs. The teenage vigilante webbed Maw away from his mentor as Tony rushed to free Stephen.

As Spider-Man continued to attack Ebony, Iron Man swiftly cut the bonds tying Stephen down. “Dear Lord, is there some part of you that isn’t injured?” The genius muttered. The doctor, when his weight was thrust upon his damaged legs, almost collapsed. Tony offered the sorcerer a shoulder and together they limped from the room. The teenager, Spider-Man, left the alien webbed to the wall and ran to catch up to the other two men. Maw’s chilling words chased them from the room. “Goodbye, my puppet! I️ can’t wait to see you again!” Maw purred throatily at their retreating backs.

The arachnid-themed superhero shivered.

Iron Man seemed to decide something, slipping out from underneath Strange’s weight. He stormed back into the torture cell, and the distinct squeal of a repulser echoed into the hallway followed by an agonized yelp. Stark came back out to see the sorcerer’s raised eyebrows.

“What?” He asked defensively. “He’s not dead. Why should you care? After all he done to you…”

“A life is a life, Stark. Although he did deserve that,” Doctor Strange replied. Spider-Man just glanced between the two silently before handing Strange off to his mentor again.

After they had clumsily limped past several fallen guards and were out of earshot of the torture chamber, Stephen murmured, “We have to go get someone.”

“What?” Iron Man asked again, this time in surprise.

“Just please, I won’t leave unless we get him out too,” the sorcerer pleaded. Tony grudgingly agreed, so they changed course. The two superheroes followed the doctor’s directions, and soon they were nearing the prison cell.

“Guards,” Stephen warned. Spider-Man made short work of the two buff figures, and stole the key from one of them. He unlocked the door with a flourish characteristic of Tony. Inside, a familiar black haired god sat chained to the wall like usual, head raised in interest.

Tony’s expression adopted an incredulous nature. “What? You wanted to go back for Loki?” Spider-Man snickered at the billionaire’s words.

A rattle of chains alerted them to the movement of the prisoner. Doctor Strange motioned for Iron Man’s assistance. “No!” Tony protested. “He’s evil! He threw me out a window and possessed Clint. I came to rescue you, not this heartless monster.”

Loki’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but he did not move. “Without ‘this heartless monster’ there wouldn’t be anything for you to rescue!” Stephen snapped. “Either we both go or neither of us do.” Loki seemed surprised and slightly grateful at that response.

“Man, these are tough!” Spider-Man knelt by the trickster, tugging at the thick rings of metal. In their arguing, Stephen and Tony had failed to notice him move. “I think you should do it, Mr. Stark. No one deserves to be left here.” He added, looking up at them.

The genius sighed, kneeled next to the liar, and began to melt away the bonds with a laser from his left gauntlet.

“I’m still keeping an eye on you.” The billionaire warned. Loki quirked an eyebrow, still unable to speak.

“Nobody deserves to stay here,” Stephen repeated darkly before Loki followed them out of the room.

As they started to follow Spider-Man, the neurosurgeon turned to his cell mate and muttered, “We might actually escape this time.” Loki snorted softly.

The group made their way through the hallways for a few minutes uninterrupted, but it was too good to last. They rounded a corner and found themselves face to face with a mob of black-robed figures. “Just escorting these prisoners to a new cell,” Tony quipped. “Hey Reindeer Games, could you take him for a second?” Loki narrowed his eyes at Iron Man, but slipped his arm around Stephen’s torso so that the genius could fight. Stephen grunted as his shoulders were jostled.

Spider-Man made the first move, shooting a web onto the ceiling and swinging into action, dodging attacks and immobilizing aliens efficiently. Loki, who was cut from his access to magic, tried to swing a few punches instead, but Stephen hissed in pain at the movement, so the two injured men fell behind. Tony plowed down plenty of figures; between his beams and fists he was a formidable opponent.

The opposition was swiftly dispatched.

———————

It wasn’t long before the four had reached the edge of the compound, and, according to the billionaire, were waiting on a ship to come pick them up. Tony and his kid seemed to know who they were, so Strange decided he had to trust them, for the moment.

They weren’t waiting alone, however. Several more of the black-robed creatures were piling through the hallway in an attempt to apprehend the group of escapees. Stephen leaned against Loki, feeling useless but wanting to help as Iron Man and Spider-Man turned to face the new opponents. His hands were so damaged, he didn’t even think about throwing a punch. Magic was also not an option, and the doctor didn’t have very much energy left in his abused limbs.

So he left the battle to the two superheroes rescuing him.

A swift creature slipped past Tony, who was the closest to Strange. It lunged at him, separating him from the god of mischief, and evaded his halfhearted defenses. It locked him in a chokehold, and Stephen gagged painfully. He tried to squirm out of the unforgiving grip, but that nor any of his other feeble attempts worked. In a last-ditch effort, he bit down onto the limb keeping him immobilized. The creature screamed, and Strange felt some distant twinge of revenge for returning the pain he had felt. Only when his mouth flooded with some disgusting black liquid did he release it, and he kicked it away with the cost of his stable pain levels. He spat out the fluid. Now it was his turn to scream as the consequences of his actions sank in and his leg burned.

Iron Man turned around a knocked the alien further away. Stephen sagged against the wall and tried to breathe through the pain. Soon after he did, one of the black-robed creatures threw a projectile towards him and therefore the wall. It missed, but exploded and threw him backwards.

Doctor Strange didn’t hit anything solid. A loud roaring filled the hallway and sucked its contents into space. Tony’s suit fought against the vacuum while Loki’s slender fingers latched on to a corner of stone, clinging to stay in the compound. Spider-Man stuck to a doorframe and shot a web to keep Stephen from being lurched out. The catch jolted his body, and he cried out in pain.

Most of the black-robed beings were immediately lost to the depths of space, but the few that survived didn’t get a chance to apprehend the group of escapees. Tony smiled as a ship purred just outside of the gap in the wall.

“That’s our cue!” He exclaimed as he propelled himself towards the god. Spider-Man jumped from the doorframe to the side of the ship and reeled Stephen there with two cords of his signature webs. Strange held his breath until he had touched down in the underside of the hovering ship and the door had closed.

Doctor Strange was almost afraid to admit; he felt a spark of hope kindle in his battered chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have one more chapter left which should be up sometime this coming week. Please comment if you can because it really does light up my day. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ~Kenobi1


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe Infinity War comes out tomorrow!!! This movie is going to kill me, I swear. This chapter is a little shorter than normal, but it is an epilogue of sorts. Thank you so much to Mamba, SpaceShark, lita, and Zamyślona for commenting! It meant so much to me! :D I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ~Infinity War comes out tomorrow!!~

As Stephen sank to the ground, Tony pulled something out of a pocket in the ship. It was a razor. At Doctor Strange’s quizzical expression, he explained, “Well, I’ve got to keep my Facial Hair Bro in top condition, don’t I️?” Stephen snorted in response, shaking his head. Tony ducked through a doorway, presumably to the cockpit of the ship.

The sorcerer wanted to travel further into the ship in an attempt to find a more comfortable place to rest his wounds, but his lack of ability to walk somewhat hindered that. His efforts were interrupted as Spider-Man passed him before doing a double-take and turning around to face him. He slipped off his mask, revealing a mop of messy brown hair and a young face. The kid blinked at the injured sorcerer.

“I️’m Peter, by the way,” the teenager informed.

“Doctor Strange,” the doctor returned wearily from the floor.

The kid seemed a little surprised. “Oh. We’re using our made up names. Then I️ am Spider-Man.”

Stephen just tilted his head. Peter turned back around and continued through the ship, and the doctor watched him go before focusing on the only person left in the underbelly of the shuttle.

Loki silently stretched out a hand, then glanced at it. His fingers were covered in oily-looking black blood, or at least, Stephen guessed that’s what it was. Loki’s eyes seemed somewhat apologetic, and he quickly retracted his limb, wiping most of the blood off on his robe. Stephen gathered that after the robed figure had separated the two, he had fought the mob with his fists.

Loki hesitantly crouched down to Stephen’s level, offering to support him so he could move to follow the two superheroes. Stephen nodded, and the Trickster lifted him up. They limped through a random door, and soon the unlikely pair entered the cockpit of the ship to witness what Stephen considered a very strange group of individuals, even for his standards.

“Tony, you have some introductions to conduct,” said a girl, breaking off a group conversation. She had long dark hair and a very humanoid form, but her skin was bright green. Tony turned and grinned.

“Hey Reindeer Games, care to introduce yourself?” Tony asked cheekily. Loki’s eyes narrowed in anger, and his free hand curled into a fist, but he didn’t respond to the teasing.

Stephen interrupted before anything could happen. “I’m Stephen Strange, and this is Loki,” he stated.

“Gamora,” the green girl returned. “This is Nebula, and this is Mantis.” She gestured to the two closest beings, a shy-seeming girl with some sort of antennae and a blue skinned girl with what looked like a metal eye.

“Oh, don’t worry. We get weirder,” said a man standing next to Gamora, noticing Strange’s quirked eyebrow. He looked human to Stephen, but he wasn’t about to make assumptions. “Peter Quill, at your service,” the guy smirked.

The next alien to introduce himself had grey skin with red markings. “I am Drax the Destroyer,” he announced in a low voice.

“Wonderful!” A rude voice proclaimed from the driver’s seat of the ship. “Your happy-go-lucky introductions just warmed my poor little heart,” He scoffed, but then added, “I’m Rocket.” He presses a button on the control panel and swiveled around in the seat. Stephen was expecting some other brightly colored humanoid, so he was surprised to find what appeared to be a raccoon in a blue jumpsuit. “Hey Groot,” It continued, and Stephen’s brain was forced to admit that he had just met a talking raccoon. “We have guests.”

“I am Groot,” came a whiny reply from a chair that Stephen had previously assumed to be empty. He craned his neck and glimpsed what seemed to be a teenager playing a video game of sorts. Except that teenager was made of wood. And appeared to be a living tree person. Stephen decided not to comment on that.

“Um, are we not gonna take that thing off?” Peter questioned, waving his hand towards the Trickster’s mouth. Tony stepped forward with a fierce look on his face.

“If we take this off, will you betray us?” He demanded. Loki shook his head. “Will you lie to us? Will you be able to use magic?” The god shook his head to both questions. Tony stepped behind the two, and after a second he meticulously melted away the side of the bond. There was a slight hiss, and the muzzle dropped onto the floor. Loki yawned, teeth bared. He rubbed his jaw with his free hand.

“Stark, take Stephen,” he suggested, voice raspy from disuse. “We have to get out of here, and when we get it of range of the compound, my magic will return. Thanos’ power stone was only commanded to bind that place. His restrictions will dispel, and anyone who is touching me when that happens will get burnt alive when my magic is released.” Tony was quick to help Stephen into the closest chair.

A second later, the raccoon, Rocket, gunned the ship, and they sped away from the compound. Doctor Strange finally allowed himself to release his pent up breath. He was free from his puppet master, and he couldn’t feel more thankful. Doctor Strange sagged into the back of the seat in relief.

After a few seconds, Loki inhaled sharply, and a blinding flash of light surrounded him. Stephen threw his arms up, but the flash was gone as quickly as it had come. With the return of his magic, the cuts in the god’s face closed as the sorcerer watched. Loki then swept over to Stephen and gently took the doctor’s ruined hands in his own. He bowed his head, and a faint tickling sensation crept over Stephen’s hands. They burned as the spell took hold, but soon the pain faded away, and the cuts from Ebony’s knife knitted shut, like some thread was stitching them together. After a moment the god glanced up at Stephen.

“Would you like me to heal them all the way?”

An involuntary tear traced a curve down Stephen’s face as he realized what the Trickster was offering. He could heal all of Stephen’s old wounds, including the nerve damage, and was volunteering to. Stephen was taken aback by the kindness of a man to whom all the stories degraded. Thanks to him, Stephen could reclaim his lost life, if he so chose.

“Thank you Loki, but no.” Stephen declined after a moment’s hesitation. “Losing my hands was horrible, but I’ve accepted it. This is something that I must live with.” Without his crash, Stephen would still be a stuck up doctor and wouldn’t have become a sorcerer. Wouldn’t be where he was, halfway across the galaxy and fighting for Earth with Avengers and aliens. Besides, his scars were a lesson and a reminder of the past.

“Very well,” Loki nodded. He squeezed Strange’s hands, and a rush of magic shot through him, healing all of his torture wounds in seconds. A wave of recurring agony swept through him, but that, too, faded and he sighed in relief. The Liesmith let go of Stephen’s fingers and straightened to his full height. Stephen, now able to walk, stood too.

“Tony, exactly where are we going?” The sorcerer inquired.

Iron Man grinned maniacally before replying, “Straight into the heart of a war. A war against Thanos.”

Doctor Strange groaned blatantly. The last thing he needed was to head straight back to the Mad Titan. But if he was being honest, was he really surprised? Just one problem to the next.

Certain death, here we come! He thought.

Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed! Love you all!
> 
> ~Kenobi1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own the MCU!
> 
> Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this story! While I didn’t write this the way I think it will play out in the movie, it is based on the two scenes with Doctor Strange’s “acupuncture” and Ebony’s following one. I decided to write this because I just couldn’t get enough of the trailer, and this was the result. I want to thank my friend for helping me write this because she is a wonderful writer and really helped me organize my crazy ideas! By the way, I posted this story on FanFiction.net as well. I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a comment if you have the time! It makes my day, and I would love to know what I could improve!
> 
> 26 Days until Infinity War!
> 
> ~Kenobi1


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